1

Engineers as Managers/Leaders
Contents 2

• Introduction
• Differences in Work Done be engineers and
Managers
• Career Paths of a Typical Engineer
• Factors Affecting the Promotion of Engineers
to Managers
• Factors Causing Engineers to Fail as
Managers
• Leaders and Managers
• Emotional Intelligence
Engineering Leadership 3

 Only 26% of CEO’s in the top 1000 companies had

their first degrees in Engineering (more in foreign
countries)
 Only 10% of university presidents are engineers
 Few engineers are in Congress
 President Jimmy Carter was the only engineer, but
he did not get reelected
Why So? 4

 Engineering mindset and attitude not compatible

with management work?
 Education preventing engineers from becoming
great leaders?
 Strengths in engineering have become weaknesses in
management?
 Differences in work done by engineers versus that by
managers?
CHARACTERISTICS ENGINEERS MANAGERS
5

Focus Technical/scientific tasks People (talents, innovation, relationships);

resources (capital, knowledge, process
know-how); projects (tasks, procedure, policy)

Decision Making Adequate technical information Fuzzy information under uncertainty (people's
Basis with great certainty behavior, customer needs, market forecasts)

Involvement Perform individual tasks Direct work of others (planning, leading,

organizing, controlling)

Work Output Quantitative, measurable Qualitative, less measurable, except

financial results, when applicable

Effectiveness Rely on technical expertise Rely on interpersonal skills to get work done
and personal dedication through people (motivation, delegation)
CHARACTERISTICS ENGINEERS MANAGERS 6

Dependency Autonomous Interdependent of others

Responsibility Pursue one task at a time Pursue multiple objectives concurrently

Creativity Technology centered People centered (conflict resolution, problem

solving, political alliance, networks building)

Bottom Line "How" (operational) "What" and "Why" (strategic)

Concern Will it work technically? Will it add value (market share, financial,
core technology, customer satisfaction)?

Adopted and revised from P. Morrison, "Making Managers of Engineers," Journal of Management in
Engineering, Vol. 2, No. 4 (1986)
Career Path of Engineers 7
Mid-level Positions 8

• Dual Ladder System

(1) Technical (senior
engineer, consultant,
associate, fellow)
(2A) Managerial (section
engineer, supervisor,
manager, director)
(2B) Project
Management (project
engineer, project
manager, manager,
director)
Dual Ladder 9

Vice President

Director Director Fellow

Manager Manager Associate

Supervisor Project Manager Consultant

Section Engineer Project Engineer Senior Engineer

Staff Engineer

Engineer
Mid-level Positions 10

 Mid-level positions are equivalent in ranking, mid-

point salary and prestige
 Technical Ladder is capped at the Corporate
Fellow level
 Managerial ladder, including Project
Management positions, leads to Executive level
positions (vice president, CTO)
Mid-level Technical 11

 Larger responsibility for programs of high

technical contents but no managerial duty
 Add value by technical contributions,
innovations, and technology applications
 Fellows are typically well-renowned both inside
and outside of the company for technical
expertise demonstrated in patents, publications
and commercial success
Mid-level Managerial 12

 Larger responsibility of managing people, tasks,

capabilities, functions and programs
 Devote increasingly less time on technology work
and more on managerial work
 Success Factors (1) Established technical
expertise, (2) Proficient in all management
functions, (3) Problem solving and conflict
resolution, (4) Strategic planning abilities
Remarks on Mid-level 13

Positions
 Technical ladder positions are less quota-limited
than the corresponding positions in managerial
ladder
 Transfer from positions in technical to managerial
ladder is somewhat more easier than the other
way around
Executive Level Positions 14

 Positions such as vice president (VP) of Engineering and chief

technology officer (CTO) demand leadership capabilities in
creating and implementing technological strategies to
capture new business opportunities
 Teamwork with other high level executives is a critical success
factor
Work Contents 15

 Change of work contents with

engineering career progression

First-line Mid Executive

Supervisor Manager
Technical 70% 25% 5%
Managerial 25% 50% 25%
Visionary 5% 25% 70%
Goals for All Levels: Add 16

Value
National Science Foundation 17

Study (2000)

Engineers/Scientists in Management

49%
48%
Percentage (%)

47%
46%
45%
44%
43%
42%
41%
Younger than 35 to 44 45- 54 Older than 55
35
Age
To Manage or Not to 18

Manage - Pros
 Financial rewards
 Authority, responsibility and leadership
 Power, influence, social status and prestige
 Career advancement, achievement and recognition
 Random circumstance
To Manage or Not to 19

Manage - Cons
• Long hours and hectic life (overtime, travel)
• High stress level (pressure of deadlines, constraints of
resources, political infighting, lack of peer cooperation, trivial
personnel conflicts)
• Poor family life (not seeing family much)
• Health hazards (travel, unhealthy foods, physical stress)
Success and Happiness 20

• Success in a management career

contributes positively to happiness, but
requiring certain sacrifices causing
unhappiness - one must select a path to
optimize happiness
• Happiness factors: (1) Wealth, (2) Social
standing, (3) Professional achievements,
(4) Peer recognition, (5) Quality of
family life, (6) Health, (7) Absent of
excess stress and anxiety, (8) Power,
and (9) Others
How to Get Promoted 21

 Competence in current assignments - master

current duties and responsibilities, gain respect of
co-workers and get favorable recommendation
from the boss
 Readiness and desire to become manager -
handle larger and more challenging assignments
(budget, people, impact)
 Good match with organizational needs
Managerial Competency 22

Managerial Competency

Knowledge Skills Aptitude

Political
Strong Will Strong Need Strong Capacity
to Manage for Power for Empathy
Handling Power
& Enterprise Politics
Technical

Conflict Resolution Managerial

Administrative Leadership Motivation Communications Coaching & Appraising

Leaders and Managers 23

 Managers – set goals, plan actions,

secure resources, set up structures,
exercise control and getting results (to
keep organization functioning
properly and create orderly results)
 Leaders – set vision and direction,
create strategies to achieve vision,
conceive actions steps to accomplish
goals, align people and form
coalition, motivate and inspire people
to move forward (to promote future-
oriented changes)
Characteristics Managers Leaders

Focus Do things the right ways Do the right things 24

Administration, problem solving Direction setting

Reconcile differences Creativity and innovation
Seek compromises
Maintain balance of Power

Emphasis Rationality and control Innovative Approach

Accept and maintain status quo Challenge status quo
Putting out fires Blazing new trails

Targets Goals, resources, Ideas

Structures, people

Orientation Tasks, Affairs Risk taking

Persistence Imagination
Short-term view Long-term perspective
Success Factors Tough-mindedness Perceptual capability
Hard work 25

Tolerance
Goodwill
Analytical capability

Points of Inquiry How and when What and why

Preference Order, harmony Chaos, lack of structure

Aspiration Classic good soldiers Own person

Favor Routine Unstructured

Follow established procedure

Approach with Using established rules Intuitive and empathetic

People
Personality Team-player Individualist
26

Relevance Necessary Essential

Thrust Blend in Stand out

Bring about compromise Lead Changes

Achieve win-win

Mentality "If it isn't broke, don't fix it" "When it isn't broke, this
maybe
the only time you can fix it."

Adapted from Abraham Zaleznik, "Managers and Leaders: Are they

Different?" Harvard Business Review (March-April 1992), and Warren
Bennis, "21st Century Leadership," Executive Excellence, Provo (May 1991).
Emotional Intelligence 27

 All leaders have a high degree of emotional

intelligence
(1) Self-awareness
(2) Self-regulation
(3) Motivation
(4) Empathy
(5) Social Skills
Failure Factors for 28

Engineering Managers
• Lack of political savvy
• Uncomfortable with ambiguous situation
• Tense personality
• Lack of risk-taking willingness
• Tendency to clinch on technology
• Lack of human relations skills
• Deficiency in management skills and perception
• Not cognitive of manager’s roles and
responsibility
• Narrow interest and preparation
Most Common Reasons for 29

Career Failures for Engineers

(A) Poor Interpersonal 30

Skills
 This is the single biggest reason for career
failures. Every one needs to be
(1) Showing respect and sensitivity in dealing
with others,
(2) Minimizing conflicts and disagreements,
(3) Giving and taking criticisms well,
(4) Striving to build team support,
(5) Becoming emotionally stable, and
(6) Behaving professionally
(B) Wrong Fit 31

 Not fitting to the cultural norms, core values,

priority, profit motives, social/ environmental
preferences, and others of the workplace
 Hard to adapt one’s own abilities, styles,
personality and chemistry to those of co-workers
 Solution is to move on quickly
(C) Not Able to Take Risks 32

 Staying in a position far too long for fear of losing

control of own comfortable life
 Not willing to venture out (e.g., taking on a
management position, relocation for a
promotion, new job, different industry, etc.)
(D) Bad Luck 33

 Caught unexpectedly in an organizational restructuring

situation (mergers and acquisition, downsizing, change of
market conditions, economic downturn, outsouring strategies,
formation of supply chain, etc.)
 Bad luck is not always avoidable
 Be ready for it by keeping oneself marketable: Value creation
attitude, skills, and records
(E) Self-destructive 34

Behavior
 Examples include: work in secret, resistance to
change, being excessively aggressive, shown
non-cooperative attitude, picking fights with
people, becoming overly argumentative, being
readily excitable about trivialities, and showing a
lack of perspectives in things
 Must check own behavior often and modify
(F) Lack of Focus 35

 Try to be jack of all trades, but not good in any

thing of value
 Having no expertise to be known for is dangerous
for one’s career (examples: work well with
different people - getting things done effectively
through teams; problem-solving – applying FMEA
or root cause analysis techniques to complex
problems)
(G) Workplace Biases 36

 Ideally, all workplaces should be free of any

biases with respect to gender, age, color,
national origin, religious beliefs and others
 In reality, some workplaces are indeed better and
more progressive than others in this respect
 Take proactive steps to avoid getting hurt by such
possibilities
Question # 1 37

• Some engineers and

managers are known to
have more difficulties in
interpersonal relations
than other. How can
they improve their
interpersonal skills?
Success Factors 38

 (A) Performance - Make sure that each and

everyone of assignment is done well - “You are
only as good as your last performance.”
 (B) Personality - How one acts and behaves is
important. One should project a mature, positive,
reasonable and flexible personality
Success Factors (cont’d) 39

 (C) Communications Skills - Ability to

communicate is important for promotability,
particularly writing concerning readability,
correctness, appropriateness and thought
 (D) Human Relations Skills - Interact with people
to create and maintain acceptable working
relationships, avoid being labeled “Not working
well with people”
Success Factors (cont’d) 40

 (E) Make Tough Decisions - Take prudent risks and

make the tough plays
 (F) Work Experience - Build up own work portfolio
with diversified experience and high impact
assignments
 (G) Self Control - Stay cool and be able to
withstand pressure and stress, having high
tolerance to frustration
Success Factors (cont’d) 41

 (H) Technical Skills/Ability - Capabilities need to

be kept marketable
 (I) Health and Energy Level - Take care of own
health and maintain physical vitality
 (J) Personal Appearance - To fit into the corporate
image by following the boss’s example
Career Strategy for the 42

21st Century
 Think, speak, act and walk like an entrepreneur -
entrepreneurial mindset
 Embrace change as an opportunity for growth,
“Eager to stay, yet ready to leave”
 Be visionaries and detail-oriented
 Know own strengths and weaknesses, be
competitive, and set high standards for self
 Build alliances and stay connected
 Career Strategy for the 21st 43

Century(cont’d)
 Avoid specialization in favor of adaptability, cross-
functionality, people skills, and a solid customer focus, learn
fast to do new things or partner with someone who knows
 Stay professionally active and keep skills marketable
 Maintain work/life balance - “Earn a living, make a life”
 (Source: James F. Kacena, “New Leadership Directions,” The Journal of Business
Strategy, March/April 2002)
Summary and Conclusions 44

 “Rules of thumb” from experience are worth

knowing
 Constantly reading to reinforce one’s conviction
in the values of noted leadership profiles
 Practicing them until the preferred behavior
becomes ones’ second nature
References 45

• Eugene Raudsepp, “Would You Make a Good Manager?” Machine Design, p.

57 (August 8, 1985).
• Anne Roe, “Networking: New Contact Sport For Managers,” Chemical
Engineering, p. 145 (October 27, 1986).
• F. Bartolome and A. Laurent, “The Manager and Servant of Power,” Harvard
Business Review, p. 77 (November - December 1986).
• R. W. Gallant, "So You Want to be a Manager,” Chemical Engineering, p. 55
(November 9, 1987)
• Alan Chapple, “Weak Interpersonal Skills Doom Engineers to 'Managerial
Malpractice' Experts Charge,” Engineering Times, (November 1986).
• Perry Pascasella, “How Can I Keep the Boss Happy?” Industrial Week,
• p. 213 (October 13, 1975).
• Anonymous, “A Quick Way to Test Your Boss Ability,” Business Management, p.
217 (July 1966).
• Robert E. Shannon, “Engineering Management,” John Wiley & Sons (1980).
Assignment 1 46

• Hoffman, author of “Prescription for Transitioning Engineers

Into Managers,” Engineering Management Journal
(September 1989), believes that a management education
program should have three elements:
• (1) Behavioral – People skills (motivation, team building,
communications and delegation).
• (2) Cognitive (production, marketing, finance, control).
• (3) Environmental (markets, competition, customers,
political, social and economical environment in which the
organization operates) The
first two elements appear to be self-evident. Explain why the
third element, the environmental, is important?
Assignment 2 47

 How is engineering management different from

management in general?
Assignment 3 48

 How to become a good

boss? What are things the
boss should and should
not do?
The Engineer of 2020 49

 National Academy of Engineering, Washington D.C.,

<nas.edu>, Published a Phase 1 Report: “The Engineer of 2020”
 Eleven “Attributes of Engineers of 2020”:
(1) Strong Analytical skills, (2) Practical Ingenuity, (3) Creativity,
(4) Communication, (5) Business & Management, (6)
Leadership,
The Engineer of 2020 50

(7) High ethical standards, (8) Professionalism, (9)

Dynamism,
(10) Agility, resilience, and flexibility,
(11) Life-long learning
The Engineer of 2020 51

 May be reground into 4 major categories:

(1) Leadership (high ethical standards,
professionalism, communication)
(2) Technical capabilities (strong
analytical skills, practical ingenuity,
creativity)
(3) Business and Management
(4) Drive to excel (dynamism, agility,
flexibility, life-long learning)
 Indeed, these are the same attributes
emphasized here